A 26-year-old woman was severely injured after her boyfriend, who is the son of a senior bureaucrat, allegedly tried to run her over with his car in Maharashtra Thane. The woman, Priya Singh, described the harrowing ordeal of how an argument resulted in her boyfriend allegedly beating her, trying to strangle her, and then asking his driver to mow her down.

The incident took place early on Monday morning near a hotel in Thane and police have registered a case against Ashwajit Gaikwad, the son of Anil Gaikwad, Managing Director at the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Priya says she received a call from Ashwajit, who she has been in a relationship with for nearly 5 years, at 4 am on Tuesday asking her to join him at a family function.

“Upon reaching there I met some friends and found that my boyfriend was behaving strangely. So I asked him if everything was fine and insisted him for us to talk in private,” she said.

Priya stepped out of the function and waited for Ashwajit hoping to talk to him and defuse the tension. But he came out with his friends who started abusing her.

“My boyfriend and his friend used abusive language to which I asked my boyfriend to defend me and not abuse which led to the start of something beyond my imagination. My boyfriend slapped me, tried to strangle my neck, I tried to push him away he bit my hand, beat me, pulled my hair, and his friend out of nowhere pushed me to the ground,” she wrote on her Instagram.

But it did not end there. When she tried to collect her phone and other belongings from his car, Ashwajit asked his driver to mow her down, police said.

“The incident took place around 4.30 am on Monday near a hotel on Ghodbunder Road, where the woman had gone to meet Ashwajit Gaikwad. An argument broke out between the two. Later, when the victim collected her belongings from his car and started leaving, the one who was driving the vehicle tried to mow her down, due to which she fell down and suffered serious injuries,” a police official said.

Priya claims she was lying on the road, in pain, for nearly half an hour before a passerby stopped and called for help, which she had been unable to do as Ashwajit hadn’t returned her phone.

She was taken to a nearby hospital where she is currently undergoing treatment.

“My right leg is broken and I had to undergo surgery, had to put a rod in my right leg. I have bruises all over my body, my arms, my back, and my stomach area are deeply scrapped. I will be bedridden for a minimum of 3-4 months and after that, I will have to take support to walk for another 6 months,” Priya Singh told police in the hospital.

A Maharashtra police official said that a probe into the incident is underway and no arrest has been made so far.

The Indian Navy is closely monitoring a developing hijack situation of a ship which appears to now be heading to the coastline of Somalia. The Indian warship responded to a distress call from the cargo carrier MV Ruen, a Maltese vessel in the Arabian Sea.

An Indian Naval Maritime Patrol Aircraft and warship on Anti Piracy patrol has been immediately diverted.

“The vessel, with 18 crew onboard, had sent a Mayday message on UKMTO portal, PM 14 Dec 23, indicating boarding by approx six unknown personnel. Responding swiftly to the developing situation, Indian Navy diverted its Naval Maritime Patrol aircraft undertaking surveillance in the area and its warship on Anti Piracy patrol in the Gulf Aden to locate & assist MV Ruen,” Indian Navy said in a statement.

A Navy warship has intercepted the hijacked vessel and is closely monitoring its movement.

“The Indian Navy remains committed to being a first responder in the region and ensuring safety of merchant shipping, along with international partners and friendly foreign countries,” the statement said.

#IndianNavy‘s Mission Deployed platforms respond to #hijacking in the #ArabianSea#MayDay msg from Malta Flagged Vessel MV Ruen on @UK_MTO portal – boarding by unknown personnel

Indian Naval Maritime Patrol Aircraft & warship on #AntiPiracy patrol immediately diverted@EUNAVFOR pic.twitter.com/mtXqjytSfF

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 16, 2023

The ship, MV Reun, was heading towards Somalia when it was attacked on Thursday. UK’s Marine Trade Operations said that the crew has lost control of the vessel. 

The capture of the vessel appears to be the first major attack by Somali pirates since 2017, following counter-piracy efforts by several countries stopped such seizures in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

The UK Marine body has advised ships to remain on alert while travelling in the Arabian Sea near Somalia as a piracy action group is active in the area.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity,” the warning said.

A 17-year-old boy was killed in Delhi by six of his friends using knives and bricks, police said. His body was found on Friday morning at a park in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

The boy has been identified as Vivek. One of the accused called Vivek for a drink, and took him to Satpula Park after he was drunk. Five of the accused were waiting in the park and attacked Vivek with two knives and bricks as soon as he entered.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Choudhary said the body had knife wounds on the face, neck, chest, and stomach.

“A PCR call was received around 7.30 am on Friday regarding the body spotted in Satpula Park. Police reached the spot near Khirki village and found the body carrying injury marks on the stomach, chest, neck, and face. The victim was identified as Vivek, a resident of Indra Camp, Begumpur,” Mr Choudhary said.

Three of the minors have been taken into custody and are being questioned.

During interrogation, they revealed that the plot had been orchestrated by one of them who held a grudge against Vivek. The accused had been beaten by Vivek in a fight a few months ago.

The minor, who had been holding a grudge against Vivek since then, attacked him along with his friends, police said.

Vivek’s family say he lied while leaving the house on Thursday and told them he was going to meet his father. When he did not return, they tried calling his phone several times but it was switched off.

They found out that Vivek has died the next morning when cops came to the house with photos of the body.